The Isle of Wight Natural History & Archaeological Society

Pale tussock larva, Briddlesford Copse

Glanville fritilliary, Rocken End

Sanderlings, Ryde (MC)

Early gentian, Cheverton Quarry

Quarr Abbey dig (MC)

Bee orchids, Sandown Bay

The Isle of Wight Natural History & Archaeological Society is interested in the nature, archaeology and geology of the Isle of Wight off the south coast of England. If you’re interested in these things then why not join us? Most types of plants and animals have a Group enthusiastic about them.

What the Society is for

The Society was set up to fulfil two purposes, for the benefit of the public. These are to promote the study of natural history and archaeology, especially in relation to the Isle of Wight, and to promote, in every possible way, the conservation of the flora and fauna of the Isle of Wight, and the proper preservation of all objects of special archaeological and geological interest.

How we do it

We do this by holding regular and wide-ranging indoor and outdoor meetings where members can learn about nature, geology and archaeology, together with occasional public meetings to promote the objects of the Society. We also carry out specialist recording, produce publications and hold an extensive Island database of species records, all of which is used to promote and to better understand the natural history of the Island and to inform decision makers.

News, events and notices

The latest edition of 'Recording Now' the species recording newsletter from the IWLRC / iWatch Wildlife is available now. Find out more about new discoveries, recording stories, news and upcoming events here on the Island.

11 People attended the above meeting on a bright but windy and cold day. After walking down to the little bridge where a Gadwall and Goldcrest were seen amongst other birds we continued down towards Shalfleet Quay. In one of the fields not far from the car park many winter thrushes were sighted,

The Recorders’ Conference is on Saturday 3rd February 2 – 4.30pm in the Arreton Community Centre, Main Rd Arreton Parking is available next to the hall; if this area is full, there is overflow parking available at the primary school opposite.

This year we have a range of shorter talks from a variety of speakers:

· Bryophyte recording George Greiff

· A new damselfly for the Island Jim Baldwin

· iWatch wildlife: progress to date Tina Whitmore

· Proposal for Biosphere Reserve for the Island Richard Grogan

· Nightingale Recording Project Jamie Marsh

· Under the Pier Ian Boyd

· Plants on campsites Colin Pope

There will be the opportunity for questions after each talk, and an interval for tea and cake with the opportunity to look at displays and chat to other enthusiasts.

Please bring photographs or mounted specimens of last year‘s interesting Island wildlife finds (or items that provided a challenge to identify) to share with your fellow recorders on the Island Wildlife display table.

If your group or organisation would like to bring a display, please contact Anne Marston at lrc@iow.gov.uk by 30th January 2018 so display space in the hall can be allocated.

The dates for this year’s event were set by the BSBI as 30th December 2017 – 2nd January 2018. The weather was mixed in the final days of December, but a check of a weather forecast site predicted overcast conditions on the Isle of Wight for 30th December. However no rain was forecast until after dark, so a group of nine set off northwards from Winchester House car park to explore Lake cliffs. This was new territory for all of us!

We walked down Littlestairs path, along the Esplanade to Ferncliff path, back up to the cliff to make a brief detour to Battery Gardens and then returned to our starting point along the cliff top path two hours later.

New Year Plant Hunt rules require the flowers to have anthers or stigmas visible to qualify as ‘flowering’. Around the car park and on our way to the cliff, we found creeping buttercup, daisy, common cat’s ear, and winter heliotrope. On the cliff face we found broom, gorse, and greater periwinkle. Looking along the talus slope and behind the beach huts at the base of the cliff provided the opportunity to add naturalised plants such as red-hot poker and Hebe ‘Blue gem’ to our list.

Hydrangea proved to be the subject of much debate -could we count it or not? ‘When is a flower not a flower?’ - when you are observing are sterile bracts and there are no anthers or stigmas, it doesn’t count!!

Re-ascending the cliff gave us a pot marigold flower in pristine condition. The walls around Battery Gardens enabled us to find ivy-leaved toadflax, pellitory-of-the-wall and Sicilian chamomile and there was a primrose in flower at the edge of the grass. A quick tally from the mobile phone screen gave an approximate total of 45 species so far, so a target of 60 was set. The clifftop yielded a fine specimen of field scabious and a patch of red valerian amongst others. Back at the car park our provisional total was 58, so much searching under fences and on walls occurred to find keel-fruited cornsalad and trailing bellflower.

Checking of the results later made our total 61, though the BSBI website does not entirely agree; that comes down to the group leader’s issues with the mobile phone app recording form! However, we were top of the leader board for quite some time until the Swanage and Cornwall groups got going! And yes, the weather kept dry for us, except for the briefest of showers at Battery Gardens. The final results are here.